This is the final of a three part series on developing alphabet knowledge in preschool and kindergarten. Research (Reutzel 2015) shows that students develop alphabet knowledge in three areas 1. Identifying the upper and lowercase letter 2. searching for and distinguishing the letter in text 3. producing the letter in written form. As I look at all three areas I will share with you resources and ideas I have that can benefit you and your students in the classroom. Alphabet kno

Writing is an important skill necessary for students to learn, but most kids hate writing instruction. So how do you make writing fun so kids will want to write? Use projects not prompts. So many times for writing assignments, we give a short prompt and ask students to write about. Even if the topic is enjoyable, prompt writing seems mundane. Well, the mundane is over with these monthly writing projects. Students will use writing in authentic and creative ways combined with o

Teaching about the first Thanksgiving in an Early Childhood classroom can be difficult for these young students to understand. Too many details and they get scared, not enough details and they don't understand the differences in culture, dress, and settlements. How can an educator teach young minds about the first Thanksgiving in a way that is developmentally appropriate and knowledgeable? Here are some ideas and resources to help you this season. 1. Books Books are a great r

As an important predictor of literacy success writing should be constant in an early childhood classroom. (National Center for Family & Literacy 2008; Puranik & Lonigan 2012). So why not incorporate some fun writing projects as you celebrate the season of fall and Halloween. These writing projects include craftivities, prompts, a variety of genres, and developmental levels to meet your students needs each year. 1. Fall 5 Senses Poem There are so many wonderful things in fall

We have seen educational research promote writing in preschool but what does this writing look like? How can we integrate writing within the learning centers we already have? How can we teach writing yet still have a developmentally appropriate classroom? In today's post I will share with you some ways that you can make writing a meaningful part of every day. If you haven't read my previous blog post about the research behind writing in preschool you can find it here. "Resea

Writing in preschool is often debated. While writing on lines and worksheets is not developmentally appropriate, real authentic writing should be encouraged. And it's not just me that has this view. Research for over the past 10 years has supported writing in preschool classrooms. So what is research saying? and why is writing in preschool crucial for your child's education? Emergent writing (early stages of writing) skills are important predictors of children's future readin

Think about when you learned how to write letters? Most likely it was in preschool, kindergarten, and maybe first grade. We spend hours writing letters over and over. But is it really important in a world that is moving more towards technology? YES! Learning good handwriting skills is more than just writing for others to read- it also builds alphabet knowledge (the number one predictor of a successful reader). When developing good handwriting, students have to focus on th